Two Irishmen walk into a building site ... and turn it into a bar. Lorcan McCarthy and Gerard Hartnett were employed to do some building work on a site in Constance Street in Fortitude Valley, but loved the property so much, along with Hartnett's partner Gillian Letham, they decided to open a bar there.
"It's really pretty nice inside with all the original floors and brick walls that we've sandblasted back. We were going to do a cafe at first, but that wasn't really us," says Letham.
The Mill on Constance site comes with a lot of history. During World War II, it was known as The Mill Barracks, and was the headquarters for the Fifth Air Force Service Command. Before that it was the Defiance Flour Mill.
Letham and Hartnett ran bars in Dublin before emigrating to Australia 10 years ago. As you could imagine, for a bar owned by two builders, Hartnett and McCarthy are doing everything themselves, from crafting the bar to building the tables.
The kitchen won't be up and running for a couple of months, but Letham says when it is they'll be offering a casual "smokehouse style" menu. The drinks list will be all Australian, with locally sourced craft beer, spirits and wine.
The Mill on Constance is slated to open on Friday, December 6 and will open Wednesdays-Saturdays from 3pm-midnight, and 2pm-10pm on Sundays.
The Mill on Constance, 111 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley
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